The world's most elite basketball league ramped up the hype for its next season by releasing the new NBA season schedule on Thursday. The league announced on their X account by posting an image containing important event dates.The 2024 NBA season was an exciting one as it saw the OKC Thunder lift their first-ever championship after an intense Game 7 series against the Indiana Pacers, who made a name for themselves as the ultimate underdogs.So without further ado, here are the key dates from the 2025-26 NBA season schedule.2025-26 NBA season schedule - Top 5 key dates1. New season's tip-offThe new NBA season will tip off on Oct. 21, with two games featuring some of the biggest names in the league. The first game is a matchup between the Houston Rockets and the OKC Thunder, which will see the new Kevin Durant-led Rockets take on the defending champions.The second matchup is a classic Steph Curry vs LeBron James showdown, as the Warriors will take on the Lakers. However, this time, the Lakers will have a new franchise star in Luka Doncic, possibly playing his first game in the league since his impressive physical transformation.2. Holiday Hoops on Christmas DayThe NBA continues its tradition of scheduling games on Christmas Day in its 78th year. This year, the league has five marquee matchups to cover the entire day with elite basketball. The first game will start at noon ET with the Cavs taking on the Knicks, and will end with the Timberwolves taking on the Nuggets at 10:30 p.m. ET.Spurs vs OKC Thunder, Mavericks vs Warriors, and Rockets vs Lakers will fill in between the first and the last game on Dec. 25, in the mentioned order.3. The All-Star weekendThe 2025-2026 NBA season schedule will reach its halfway point during the All-Star weekend. Next season, the All-Star weekend will be held at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the LA ClippersIt is the first time that the All-Star events will be held at the Intuit Dome and the first time since 2018 that the anticipated event is returning to LA. The All-Star weekend will be held from Feb. 13-15, 2026.4. The PlayoffsThe playoff for the 2025-2026 season will begin on Apr. 18. The top six seeded teams from each conference at the end of the regular season will earn a direct ticket to the postseason, while teams ranked seventh to 10th will duke it out in the Play-In tournament starting on Apr. 14.5. The NBA FinalsThe 2025-26 NBA season schedule will reach its end in June 2026 when the champions from the Eastern and Western Conferences lay it all out in the Finals to crown a new champion and decide the rightful owner of the Larry O'Brien trophy for the next season.